UV protection with Anderson Windows?

busybeltJanuary 21, 2013

We just remoded a screen porch into a sun room. We have the Anderson window 300 series. The UV protection factor in these windows is not the strongest that they offer. One notch down which I believe is their standard variety.
I have called Anderson and went to their website, but have yet to determine the "fading factor" for my upholstered furniture. We get reflection of the sun from the side driveway. Also we get sun and reflection from our deck which faces east, on the opposite side. Our sliding door is on the deck side.
My concern is the fading of our furniture. I would like input should anyone know if I need to do some window treatments to protect the furniture? I love it open and bright!
thank you.

Check out HunterDouglas.com The have a beautiful product called "Luminette". It is a sheer, with a fabric vane that can be closed to become a private drape and can also be wide open when the sun is not on that side of the house. Even when the vanes are open to be a sheer curtain, you get 88% UV protection. A full 99% when closed. My favourite product!!

For UV protection while also preserving your view consider solar shades or window film. The solar shades work just like a roller shade. You will want a valance. They come in a wide variety of fabrics. The darker colors (bronze and black) are best for optimizing the view.

Thank you for your feedback. Do window films need to be installed by a professional? Also, part of my question was and I guess I didn't really phased it properly was: Do I need window coverings with an Anderson 300 series window? I understand most people may not know that answer....but I sit for hours on the phone waiting for a response from the company.........From the responses I have received, I am assuming yes I do need some sort of covering to save me furniture.
Would you agree? Thank you again for your reply.

You need to find out what the R value of the Andersen 300 windows is...ie it's ability to resistance to heat flow. It should be at least an R value of 5 to 7 to be considered effective I believe. Every window will benefit from lined and interlined drapery covering the glass, and will increase the R value substantially.
There are companies out there doing UV film on windows that does work well. Just do not have the info at my fingertips right now. An outdoor solar shade retractable awning type would help with uv control, without having to cover your windows on the inside.

There are clear Window Films that allow the light in while providing 99.9% UV rejection. Some work much better than others. However the visible light and solar energy (heat) are also major factors in fading. In fact this is what causes your fading:
UV - 40%
Visible Light - 25%
Heat - 25%
Miscellaneous - 10% (interior lighting, type of fabric or surface etc.)

Window Film can help slow the fading process significantly but not entirely. It is a great option if you want to maintain your view but the expectation needs to be clear. 99% UV rejection does not translate into 99% fade protection. I hope this helps.

So happy to see the photo and suggestion for solar shades. They've become my go to solution to prevent furniture fading, keep the heat out, and still provide some privacy. If you choose a reverse roll, where the roller is on the inside, what you see is the uninterrupted line of the shade. In that case, no header is necessary, unless you like the look. One could be mounted on the top of each of your doors and panels. Rolled up when you don't need them, they almost disappear. Very neat and clean looking. In your case, probably best to go with an off white that matches the paint color.

I was happy to see the suggestion for solar shades as well. My sister in law has them in her kitchen and they are great. I've been eyeing them for a wall of windows that only need covering for an hour or two of afternoon glare.

Will they blend into the wood color as suggested by plain jane?
Also I love the photo of the white fire place with black tile on your site, Rachel. Is the tile a solid black? I have beige now and was thinking of changing to black. Do you think black makes a room look busy, as my living room is not as big as the photo. 1940's Georgian style. Appreciate your feedback on the blinds!

I work as an interior designer and we've done many Designer Roller/Screen shades with MOTORIZED lifting function. Especially with this many windows, you won't have to worry about the continuous loop chain getting in the way...it would be really clean looking.

A wall switch and a remote are all available....one touch of a button, they all go up/down. Or it can be programed to your favorite settings.

I reccomend going with Hunter Douglas Vignette Modern Roman Shades, Designer Screen Shades, or their Nantucket window shades. All 3 of these options roll flawlessly into the head rail cassette. Which is not much larger than a roller shade cassette. They are also available battery operated so you don't have to worry about a wall switch, or having an electrician come out to install a switch. The selection is outstanding as well.

you ned window coverings, on solar film on the glass. However the warranty will no longer be valid if film is applied to the glass. I dont know of any glass that will keep glare from being noticed from the outside to the indoors

The resource i use is www.stevesblindsandwallpaper.com. They offer several brands, as well as their own private label, Steve's. The prices can't be beat. I used Steve's solar shades on my own sliders. They look wonderful. My shades are over 6' long and the width of 2 sliders. Raising them is no problem whatsoever. If you choose Steve's, order them with the steel pull chain, and reverse roll, so you don't see the roller. They look neat and no header is necessary. I think they actually look better without a header, less fuss going on. I would mount them close to the top of the window panes, and only a couple of inches wider than the window pane area. I notice that the doors seem to be on hinges, so there's no problem with the mounting. Steve's also comes in several colors, and you can order swatches for free. I've ordered them again and again for clients. They all love them, as well as the price. Take a look at the site.

My husband and I fell in love with solar shades when we saw them years ago in a restaurant in Maine. They blocked the glare of the sun yet permitted a glorious view of the water.
When we got home, we went to a local drapery/window treatment dealer and had them installed on our bedroom, living room, family room and slider windows. They are available in any size you want. One of our windows is 8 ft across... no problem! No header, not necessary. We had someone from the store come out and measure, then come back and install. That was over 12 years ago (I think) and we still love them. They come in various tints, and we chose several different ones for different rooms.
They are also great for keeping the hot sun out and air conditioning in in the summer. I imagine they would prevent fabric fading if they were always pulled down when the sun was shining... I only use them when there is a glare or want to keep the house cool, so the back of my couch facing the window has faded.
Remote sounds great. I don't think they offered that when we bought ours, although the pull chains still work fine.

Sorry. I didn't realize they're sliders. You might consider using 2 shades, mounted on the moulding above the doors. I bet they also make them wide enough to cover all 4 doors. They would do that railroaded. Check it out on the site. they also offer on line chat. (Honestly, I don't work for Steve's. Just love the selection and price.)

A local window treatment & design center will come out and measure & recommend a specific treatment for your decor. They will professionally install them as well. A good company will take into consideration your taste and design dilemmas. Most manufactures require your blinds and window treatments to be professionally installed, or it may void your warranty for the product. I would highly advice not ordering your shades from an Internet site. The service you receive, on top of peace of mind about your warranty, more than compensates any savings from an online store. Additionally you are contributing to your local economy.

Agree with Impeccable Design & Drapery, I cannot stress how important it is to get a professional to measure and specify the product as they will advise on the optimal size and installation site for your windows. It can be a very expensive mistake to order the wrong thing. A window professional will have samples of all the multitude transparencies that solar shades come in and you need to see that first hand.

Have you considered retractable screens? We offer a wide variety, all of which block UV rays which is what fades furniture and artwork. Plus, you can effectively screen double-French doors, without compromising their look and feel. Check out the Legacy screen: http://bit.ly/Mv1iPS

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. This is what I ended up with for the time being and it appears to be working fine without investing alot of money.I have a wonderful patio umbrella right outside the sliders with a couple of chairs that provide some shade. Then I stopped in at a wrecking company and found the bifold louvered doors to use as a screen. $5. Couldn't go wrong once cleaned up. Looks good and doesn't required any effort.